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Migrants’ boat, four bodies discovered off Farmakonisi

The bodies of four more of the 12 migrants who drowned off Farmakonisi last month were recovered on Friday as a navy oceanographic research vessel helped coast guard divers locate the fishing boat in which the migrants had attempted to reach Greece.

Sixteen people were rescued from the boat on January 19 but some survivors alleged that a Greek coast guard patrol vessel attempted to tow the migrants boat back to Turkish waters, causing it to sink. Greek officials deny this and a judicial probe has been ordered.

The coast guard said that the migrants’ boat was discovered on the seabed near the Dodecanese islet at a depth of 73 meters. Divers managed to reach the vessel, where they located a total of seven bodies. The four recovered were those of a man, a woman and two children. The difficult conditions prevented divers from recovering the remaining corpses. The coast guard said it would examine the possibility of a new dive.